Why Emma Watson Has Been Banned From Driving for 6 Months

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Emma Watson must’ve forgotten that most muggles aren’t accustomed to seeing a flying car. 

In fact, an actress known for her role in Harry Potter had her British driver’s license suspended for six months because she was found speeding eight miles over a 30-mph limit near Oxford University last year. This information was reported from the High Wycombe Magistrates court on July 16, as stated by the BBC.

35-year-old Watson had accumulated nine traffic offense penalties on her driver’s license, as stated by the court, according to the BBC. Alongside the suspension, she was instructed to pay approximately $1,400 in fines. The actress from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was absent during the July 15 hearing; however, her legal representative, Mark Haslam, informed the court (as reported by the BBC) that Watson is currently a student and can afford to pay the fine.

I’ve been eagerly waiting for a response from Watson’s representative about that recent event, but so far, no word has come from their side yet.

Meanwhile, Zoe Wanamaker, who played Madam Hooch in the initial Harry Potter movie from 2001, surprisingly received the same penalty at High Wycombe Magistrates Court, only moments following Emily Watson’s hearing.

In response, Wanamaker found herself accumulating 12 points on her driving license and summoned to court due to driving at a speed of 6 miles over the 40 mph limit. As a result, she was mandated to pay approximately $800 in fines, along with an extra $487 in surcharges, as reported by The Sun.

Duncan Jones, representing Wanamaker, informed the court that “She doesn’t want any extraordinary considerations,” as reported by The Sun. “She acknowledges that her driving privileges will be revoked.

Apart from a recent traffic offense, Watson has generally stayed out of the limelight while focusing on her academic endeavors at Oxford University since 2023. She is working towards a U.K. doctoral degree there, as reported by the Daily Mail earlier this year.

While focusing on her academic pursuits, Watson has additionally joined the esteemed university’s rowing squad, with her most recently being seen steering the boat during their river race on the Thames last month.

The Daily Mail photographs showed Watson wearing a white baseball cap, sunglasses, and a tiny microphone. She used this microphone to lead her team of eight rowers during the competition.

Though Watson hasn’t graced the silver screen since the release of Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” in 2019, she’s shared before that taking a hiatus from acting has proven incredibly fulfilling for her.

In 2023, I shared with British Vogue my gratitude for embracing a moment of messiness. It was liberating to let go of striving for immediate understanding, as the clarity I’ve gained since then is priceless. I wouldn’t exchange it for any other wisdom.

For more on how the Harry Potter cast has changed since the series ended in 2011, keep reading…

As the actor who once embodied Harry Potter, I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities that role opened up for me. Yet, I’ve been diligently working to shake off any lingering child-star stereotypes associated with my acting career. My journey began with a daring move, stripping down for a raw portrayal in ‘Equus’ on Broadway in 2007.

Following that, I took on a more upbeat role in ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ in 2011. Since then, I’ve found myself oscillating between theater and film projects. Some of my notable theater performances include ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’, ‘Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead’, and a Tony-winning performance in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’. On the big screen, you might recognize me from ‘The Woman in Black’, ‘Victor Frankenstein’, or ‘Swiss Army Man’.

If there’s a hint of dark humor, I’m all in! This can be seen in my roles as a morphine-addicted physician on TV’s ‘A Young Doctor’s Notebook’ and a low-level angel trying to prevent the end of the world in ‘Miracle Workers’.

My resume is not limited to these roles, though. I shared the screen with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in the 2022 rom-com ‘The Lost City’, portrayed musician “Weird Al” Yankovic in the biographical parody film ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’, and lent my voice to the animated series ‘Mulligan’.

Off-screen, I’ve been in a relationship with actress Erin Darke since our meeting on the set of 2013’s ‘Kill Your Darlings’, where I played Allen Ginsberg. Together, we welcomed a son into our family in April 2023.

The child born in Paris and raised in Oxfordshire had only a handful of school plays to her credit when she landed the role of Hermione Granger, marking her debut in professional acting. Following the completion of seven films, Watson balanced her time between studying English literature at Brown University (graduating in 2014) and appearing in independent movies like ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘The Bling Ring’.

Later, she took on the roles of Belle in the 2017 live-action version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and Meg March in the 2019 film adaptation of ‘Little Women’. However, Watson subsequently decided to take a break from acting. Although she admittedly felt apprehensive about this decision, she believed it was the right choice for her. In an interview with British Vogue in 2023, she expressed:

“I’m just so grateful that I did [step away from acting] because I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I had before – more autonomy. I wouldn’t trade the uncertainty for anything.”

After stepping back, Watson returned to school, enrolling in a creative writing program at Oxford. She also co-founded a gin brand called Renais with her brother Alex Watson and directed a few commercials. Throughout the years, she has modeled for brands like Burberry and Lancôme and been an advocate for gender equality.

It seemed as if the young man with red hair from Essex emerged spontaneously to portray Harry’s closest friend, Ron Weasley. Later on, Grint starred in British productions such as “The ABC Murders,” based on Agatha Christie’s mystery, and the dark comedy “Sick Note,” where he played an ordinary man whose life improves following a false cancer diagnosis but chooses to continue deceiving others about his health.

Grint also secured roles in “CBGB,” a movie about the renowned New York punk-rock club, the French comedy “Moonwalkers,” M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural mystery series “Servant,” and his horror film “Knock at the Cabin.” However, it took him some time to adapt to life after spending years as Ron.

“After Potter, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Grint said to Radio Times in 2018. “I had this feeling that I had missed out on ordinary experiences. I lost touch with many of my school friends. I wanted to have a bit of a life again, so I took a break. I’ve never really been overly ambitious. There’s always been something within me, particularly when I finished Potter, that wants to prove myself, but I’m also naturally quite an insecure person.”

Whatever he did paid off. As Shyamalan told EW.com, “He came in and auditioned, and I just saw a different person. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this kind of transformation from child actor to adult actor in my life, it’s amazing.”

In May 2020, Grint and his longtime girlfriend Georgia Groome welcomed their daughter Wednesday G. Grint.

It’s clear that the former child actor known for his role as Neville Longbottom, Lewis, has garnered significant attention lately due to his mature good looks, which have spread news of his attractiveness across the world.

Matthew Lewis, known for his work on British stages and screens, has been a part of projects such as the BBC One miniseries “The Syndicate“, the emotional drama “Me Before You” from 2016, and the 2018 thriller “Terminal“, alongside Margot Robbie. In 2015, he expressed his delight at portraying a soldier in the BBC Three dramedy “Bluestone 42“, which revolves around a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan.

In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Lewis stated, “The Potter series was an exceptional and rare experience that I feel fortunate to have been a part of, but I’ve never felt as invested or proud of a project as I do with Bluestone 42; I’ve had more fun being involved with it than ever before as an actor, undoubtedly.”

Other roles he has taken on include “Avoidance“, “All Creatures Great & Small“, “Baby Done“, and “Ripper Street“.

Lewis tends to keep his personal life private, but it’s common knowledge that he married Angela Jones in 2018. In October 2019, they made a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter World—the same place where they first met.

In reality, the villainous Draco Malfoy was actually a golden-hearted individual with platinum hair. During the summer of 2011, he could be found in the movie “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” but since then, he’s been featured in films less reliant on CGI, such as period dramas like “Belle” and “A United Kingdom.”

Fans were left stunned when Felton appeared as Julian “Dr. Alchemy” Albert on The CW’s “The Flash” in 2016. He also made appearances in the sci-fi series “Origin,” as well as films like “Ophelia,” “Braking for Whales,” “Burial,” and “Some Other Woman.”

Moreover, Felton is a musician who has released several EPs throughout his career.

In terms of his private affairs, the actor was in a seven-year romance with Jade Olivia Gordon, who later became Astoria Malfoy’s character in the series, from 2009 to 2016. After their separation, he began seeing Roxanne Danya.

In his recently published memoir, “Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard,” released in 2022, Felton discussed his challenges with youthful celebrity and past substance use, while also clearing up misunderstandings regarding his relationship with Watson.

For a long time, there’s been a hidden affection for Emma in me, but perhaps not the kind of love others would expect. Yet, there have certainly been moments when a connection between us was palpable. However, this connection didn’t develop into a romantic relationship. Instead, we share a deep friendship, one that I can’t fully articulate to anyone else, as I held an affection and respect for Emma as a person that surpasses my ability to express in words.

The actress began playing Ginny Weasley when she was just 10 years old, eventually transforming her role from “Ron’s little sister” to Harry Potter’s romantic interest throughout the movie series.

After graduating from the London College of Communication, Wright established her own production company, BonBonLumière, in 2012. In addition to acting in films like After the Dark and Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg?, she has written, directed, and starred in short films such as Separate We Come, Separate We Go (with David Thewlis), Know Thyself (starring Christian Coulson), and Medusa’s Ankles (featuring Jason Isaacs).

However, she appears to have taken a break from acting, with her most recent film being 2018’s A Christmas Carol. Instead, she has focused on other career paths and released her book, Go Gently, which provides guidance for readers wanting to get involved in the climate movement, in 2021.

In the year 2019, Evanna Lynch participated in a reunion with Wright, Watson, Felton, and others. Fortunately, someone captured this moment on camera. “Time turning,” Wright wrote as the caption for the photo, adding a lightning bolt for emphasis.

Previously, she was involved with Jamie Campbell Bower, who portrayed a young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. However, their relationship ended in 2012. After that, she dated Simon Hammerstein for several years before finding her current partner, Andrew Lococo, in 2020. They tied the knot in March 2022 and welcomed their son, Elio, in September 2023.

It’s worth noting that while Ron Weasley’s twin brothers, Fred and George, are famous for their pranks at Hogwarts, they were portrayed by real-life twins, Oliver being 13 minutes older than James. The twins continued to play together in films like “Our Own Worst Enemy” and “Last Night in Soho,” with James also taking on solo roles in movies such as “Patchwork” and “Cadia: The World Within.” Aside from their mischievous antics, they hosted a podcast called “Normal Not Normal” and participated in the cooking competition series “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.”

Oliver married Katie Humpage in 2015, and they have two daughters. On the other hand, James tied the knot with Annika Ostle the following year.

Originally cast as Dean Thomas in the Hogwarts student group during the Harry Potter series, this British actor then pursued numerous theater roles in England and made appearances in shows like Broadchurch and Sherlock. Subsequently, he starred for four seasons on How to Get Away With Murder where he portrayed the well-meaning but ultimately morally conflicted and tragic law student Wes. In a surprising twist, he reprised his role as Wes’ son in the series’ mind-bending final season in 2020 – SPOILER ALERT. Since then, he has been seen in Foundation, The Couple Next Door, and Miss Austen. Additionally, he holds a degree from The Queen’s College, Oxford.

Chris Columbus was searching for a teenager around 16 years old to portray the ghost of 16-year-old Tom Riddle in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” but it was the 23-year-old Coulson who ended up getting the role despite being older. Later, he secured other film and television roles, such as Damien George on “Nashville,” Sebastian in the Golden Globe-winning series “Mozart in the Jungle,” Benjamin on “High Fidelity,” and Peter in “Blood Brothers: Civil War.

In a highly competitive audition process involving approximately 3,000 hopefuls, Katie Leung ultimately secured the role of Cho Chang, Harry Potter’s love interest in the Goblet of Fire era. However, she faced intense backlash online following her casting announcement, as she shared on the Chinese Chippy Girl podcast in 2021. “I remember discovering hate-filled comments about my casting on a dedicated Harry Potter fandom website,” Leung recalled. “There was a lot of racism involved, and someone even created a website where you could register your disapproval of the casting.”

After her stint in the Harry Potter series, Katie Leung pursued theater and television work in the UK, appearing in White Dragon, Chimerica, The Nest, and providing the voice for Caitlyn in Arcane. Her other credits include Nightsleeper, Annika, Chemistry of Death, The Peripheral, and The Foreigner.

In a heartwarming Instagram post from December 2022, Leung announced the birth of her first child, a baby boy named Wolf.

Wow, I can’t help but wonder what became of the young man who brought Cedric Diggory, the tragic hero, to life in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”…

Indeed, it’s worth noting that Robert Pattinson was cast as the main character in another widely popular Young Adult series, known as “The Twilight Saga.” In these movies, he portrayed the enigmatic vampire, Edward Cullen, across five films. During this time, he also had a romantic relationship with his co-star, Kristen Stewart.

After that, he has made a name for himself in acting by delivering intense performances in independent films such as “Maps to the Stars”, “Cosmopolis”, “The Rover”, “Good Time” and “The Lighthouse”. However, he went back to major budget productions when he took on the famous cape and frown, portraying the main DC superhero in the 2022 blockbuster “The Batman”.

In the past, Robert Pattinson was betrothed to FKA twigs. Since 2018, he has been in a relationship with model and actress Suki Waterhouse. They got engaged in December 2023, and in March 2024, they welcomed their first child together.

Fleur Delacour, the tall and elegant lady from Beauxbatons Academy in France, who represented her school in the Triwizard Tournament, later married Ron Weasley’s cool older brother Bill.

Since then, Poésy has consistently worked in films and television, appearing in shows like “Gossip Girl,” the dark comedy “In Bruges,” the crime series “The Tunnel” in both English and French versions, as well as “Genius: Picasso” on National Geographic Channel.

Additionally, she landed roles opposite her former Triwizard Tournament opponent Pattinson in “Tenant,” in “The Essex Serpent” and the spin-off of “The Walking Dead,” titled “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.”

After becoming a mother for the first time in 2017, Poésy spoke openly about how this new journey had an impact on her.

She shared with The Guardian that today’s thoughts have brought her closer to women, both from past centuries and present day. Reflecting on the medical aspect of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood, she finds herself contemplating deeply. This experience has further strengthened her admiration for women.

In “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” the actress shone brilliantly as the quirky yet brave Luna Lovegood; however, she openly acknowledged finding it challenging to secure acting roles following her involvement in the legendary Harry Potter series.

In 2019, Lynch shared with Bustle that it felt peculiar since we were receiving loads of fan mail and attention, yet this admiration didn’t translate into the real world. It was challenging for me, as I believe I missed the affirmation that comes from being part of a massive film series where everything you did was highly praised and appreciated.

However, she has still made appearances in short films like “Bus Girl” and animated projects such as “My Freaky Family.

Since 2015, Lynch has maintained a vegan lifestyle. In 2018, she launched a clean and animal-friendly beauty brand, Kinder Beauty Box. She also co-hosts a podcast titled “Just Beings” with Dr. Melanie Joy. The year 2018 saw Lynch finishing third on “Dancing With the Stars.” Her debut book, “The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting,” was published in 2021.

She shared with Bustle that she has remained particularly close to Katie Leung (Pansy Parkington) and Scarlett Byrne, and often sees many of her former cast members at conventions. Lynch explained, “I think we’ve grown closer since the movies because, as adults, we’re all on the same page now. For instance, I spent time with the Phelps twins this past weekend, James and Oliver, and I didn’t interact much with them during filming when I was 14 and they were older, but it doesn’t seem like such a big age difference anymore.

After his Slytherin days, Draco’s right-hand man, Goyle, has cleaned up his image and made a name for himself in the entertainment world. He starred in the British crime drama “Marcella” alongside Anna Friel, the 2018 remake of “Robin Hood”, the miniseries “Murder at White House Farm”, and the spy drama “Alex Rider”. His acting career also includes roles in the Disney+ series “Andor” and the movie “No Way Home”.

Interestingly, Goyle hasn’t limited himself to acting. In 2016, he ventured into MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).

In 2023, he announced his marriage to Jessica Herdman. As a couple, they are proud parents of two children.

Much like the antagonistic characters in the Harry Potter series, such as Dudley Dursley, were amiable individuals off-screen, the same can be said for Harry’s portly, spoiled cousin, played by Domhnall Gleeson. During the filming of the Deathly Hallows, Gleeson embarked on a fitness journey that almost led to his recasting before the first part was released. However, he continued in the role with the aid of prosthetics.

Since then, Gleeson has maintained a steady career in both theater and film, appearing in productions like The Lost City of Z, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs directed by the Coen brothers, and the HBO series His Dark Materials.

Gleeson also collaborated once more with Joel Coen to portray Malcolm in Coen’s adaptation of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand as the ruthlessly ambitious leads. Additionally, Gleeson played Harry Beltik in the popular Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit and shared screen time with Charlize Theron in Netflix’s action film, The Old Guard.

Other notable credits for Gleeson include Wolf Hall, Harvest, Shoshana, and The Pale Blue Eye.

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2025-07-16 17:48